Mississippi is virtually tied with Louisiana for the wettest state in North America. Add heat to this and you get bugs. Lots of them.
Most recently Mississippi has been plagued by black flies, also known as buffalo gnats. The closer you live to the swamp, the more your outdoor activities have been disrupted by these obnoxious creatures.
Here’s the good news: The male buffalo gnat does not bite. Now the bad news: The female does. She needs blood to lay her eggs.
Buffalo gnats belong to the Simuliidae family. There are over 100 species and more are being discovered every year. Including related families, 1,800 species of black flies exist.
One Web site states, Humans as well as domestic animals may be viciously attacked. The eyes, ears, nostrils, wrists, and all exposed parts of the body of man are subject to attack. The extreme pain, itching, and the resultant local swellings, together with occasional severe complications, indicate the presence of an active allergin.
In some individuals, the face, arms, and other exposed parts may be greatly swollen as a result of the bites; in others, effects other than blood loss may scarcely be noticeable.
Livestock and poultry are sometimes killed by large numbers of black flies. Death seems, in most cases, to be the consequence of a toxemia caused by the bites or the result of an anaphylactic shock; although debility resulting from blood loss and suffocation brought about by inhalation of the flies is apparently a contributing cause.
The buffalo gnat is better known in the North, where they are a favorite food of trout. The gnats lay their eggs in clear, running water so the larvae can attach to rocks and feed on passing debris. The larvae grow underwater and emerge in an air bubble as flying adults.
Buffalo gnats are not typically a problem around these parts because of a lack of swift running water.
I suspect the greater water flow produced by the recent rains caused a unique population boom.
I have several huge bumps on my cheeks and neck from these nasty gnats. They have flown into my eyes, ears, nose and lungs.
Many fellow Northside Jackson residents can sympathize.
In Canada, buffalo gnats are a scourge to cattle, causing weight loss and death. Pennsylvania operates the largest eradication program for buffalo gnats. The program is considered crucial for tourism.
In Africa, black flies carry a disease called river blindness.
Wikipedia provides further information: Bites are shallow and accomplished by first stretching the skin using teeth on the labrum and then abrading it with the maxillae and mandibles, cutting the skin and rupturing its fine capillaries. Feeding is facilitated by a powerful anticoagulant in the flies' saliva, which also partially numbs the site of the bite, reducing the host's awareness of being bitten and thereby extending the flies' feeding time. Biting flies feed during daylight hours only and tend to zero in on areas of thinner skin, such as the nape of the neck or ears and ankles.
Itching and localized swelling and inflammation sometimes occur at the site of a bite. Swelling can be quite pronounced depending on the species and the individual’s immune response, and irritation may persist for weeks.
Intense feeding can cause “black fly fever,” with headache, nausea, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and aching joints; these symptoms are probably a reaction to a compound from the flies’ salivary glands. Less common severe allergic reactions may require hospitalization.
Repellents provide some protection against biting flies. Products containing the active ingredient DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) or picaridin are most effective.
However, given the limited effectiveness of repellents, protecting oneself against biting flies requires taking additional measures, such as avoiding areas inhabited by the flies, avoiding peak biting times, and wearing heavy-duty, light-colored clothing, including long-sleeve shirts, long pants and hats. When black flies, for example, are numerous and unavoidable, netting that covers the head, like the “bee bonnets” used by beekeepers, can provide protection.
Let’s not forget the no-see-ums, or midges, winged insects from the Ceratopogonidae family, which includes 4,000 species worldwide and dozens locally.
Like black flies, the female midges need a blood meal to reproduce.
In contrast to most Mississippians, I have long since abandoned short-sleeved shirts and shorts for long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
There are some great lightweight, breathable fabrics now available that will protect from the sun and keep you cool.
People think I’m crazy, but the lightweight fabrics keep the sun off your skin, which actually cools you down. No longer do I have to mess with noxious sunscreens and the skin irritation they cause. Nor do I have to slather myself with pesticides, with questionable health side effects.The skin is capable of absorbing these chemicals and sending them throughout your body.
Now the buffalo gnat gives me yet another reason to embrace my new summer wardrobe.
No more will I be a moveable feast for mosquitoes, black flies and the dozens of different species of Mississippi no-see-ums.
